Führer-Ex: Memoirs of a Former Neo-Nazi

by Ingo Hasselbach, Tom Reiss

Ingo Hasselbach, whose parents were Communist Party members in East Germany during his childhood, has lived at both ends of the political seesaw. The question of how people reach a change of heart is a profound one; Hasselbach describes the external forces that led to his founding Germany's first neo-Nazi political party and the internal ones that led him away from it five years later with a surprisingly careful thoughtfulness and thoroughness that befits the issues at hand.


based on: "Die Abrechnung" by Ingo Hasselbach (ISBN 3-351-02446-0)

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Germany, Biography Memoir, History, Memoir, Politics

388 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Ingo Hasselbach (born Ingo Füllgrap), a former German neo-Nazi, is the author of the book "Führer Ex: Memoirs of a Former Neo-Nazi". Furthermore he was co-founder of the German EXIT project, which helps people leave the neo-Nazi community.

Ingo Hasselbach, geb. Füllgrap ist der bekannteste Aussteiger der Neonazi-Szene. Er ist Autor der Bücher Führer Ex (englisch, mit Tom Reiss) und Die Abrechnung – ein Neonazi steigt aus (deutsch) sowie Mitbegründer der Neonazi-Aussteiger-Organisation EXIT Deutschland.

sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingo_Has...

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingo_Has...

Reviews

[Tina Siegel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my desert island book, the one I would save in a fire, the one I recommend to everyone. It embodies the best and worst possibilities of human nature.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

In many ways a wholly unpleasant and frightening book and yet in another..a book that shows how extreme beliefs can be born.
This is set in Germany before the wall came down and after and shows a country in translation...a country in which some denied the past rather than deal with the collective shame others felt.
It's also interesting to read how the right rose when Helmut Kohle was under pressure to deal with immigration problems and the fear that immigrants where utilising the welfare state..it's the same fear fanning the flames of right wing government in the UK at present and again the extremists are on the sidelines.
It seems we need reminding occasionally as to how racism and facism rises..this book does an admirable job of doing that..sometimes it's difficult to embrace the author wholly as prior to his conversion he was as bad as those he damns..however in fairness he does much to explain actions of his former partners in crime and offer at least at backdrop of why and how things where and(to a degree ) are as they are...
So in closing...wholly unpleasant and yet remarkably interesting...

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A candid autobiography by the young man who was briefly the leader of the Neo-Nazi movement in the early 1990's. He makes no apologies for his actions, which included a number of fistfights, acts of vandalism, and even a bombing, and he rather gleefully details the silly and pointless tasks that he would come up with to initiate new members. (Like writing essays about Joan Baez's music.) Having no truly deep-seated Nazi sympathies, he was really just looking for a way to stick it to the establishment, so to speak, and as he matured and saw the senseless prejudice and violence of what he was doing for what it really was, he got out of there. A fascinating look at the rise of Neo-Nazism in Germany (funded by Americans, by the way), and about one young man's discovery of his self.

[Erin Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
As fascinating as this book was, I really struggled to get into it. There was a lot of buildup explaining how Hasselbach grew up and what caused him to get involved in the German Neo-Nazi movement, but I feel that this portion of the book was too drawn out. I found myself feeling bored and wondering when the book would get interesting. However, once it did become interesting, it stayed that way. Although the descriptions were somewhat nauseating to read, it was fascinating to learn about what Hasselbach did as the Führer and to understand the mindset that Neo-Nazi extremists hold. I also enjoyed the little notes Hasselbach occasionally included, mentioning his current perspective regarding various events or ideas discussed throughout the book. The final portion where he explained how he got out of the movement and how his life has changed was interesting as well, and I wish it had been longer. I loved his ability to talk through the ways in which his mindset has adapted to his new life and I would have enjoyed reading more about that.

[Brentman99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book was an interesting account of someone who is easily influenced down a bad path when they are young, then has a moment of awakening or realisation that sees them move from the far right to somewhere closer to the norm.

When we are young, many things seem simple. In the case of Ingo, he hated the state. And if many of the things he recalls are real, then I'm not surprised that he went to the far right for a while. But what matters is that, over time, he came to realise what he was doing was wrong, then had the courage to risk his life by getting out while he could.

I think that this book was an interesting read that, even after 20 years, still seems relevant, particular with the recent resurgence of the far right and its platform of hate. I think it is a worthwhile read that may be even more valuable when shared with someone that is, or about to be, headed down a bad path.

[Anika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mehr ein "So kam ich rein" und "So war es drin" als "So kam ich raus", soll heißen: Wer eine reine Ausstiegsstory erwartet, könnte enttäuscht werden. Der Titel passt gut, es ist schon eine Abrechnung, zum einen für Hasselbach selbst, der sein altes Leben Revue passieren lässt, zum anderen mit den vielen Neonazi-"Größen" der frühen 90er Jahre, die hier alle sehr "anschaulich" porträtiert werden. Da das Ganze angenehm nüchtern an der Grenze zu emotionslos erzählt wird, wirkt es auch nicht wie ein eingeschnapptes Nachgetrete, sondern authentisch.

Schade nur, dass ich eine sehr alte Ausgabe erwischt habe (aus 93). Hätte lieber was Neueres mit um aktuellere Begebenheiten ergänzte Kapieln, auch ist in meiner Ausgabe EXIT noch in weiter Ferne usw. Selbst Schuld, kann das Buch nix für ;)

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so eye-opening. This is the story of the head of the neo-nazi party in Germany and how he was able to get out of it. He explains what drew him into the group and how he was practically brainwashed. Very interesting.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had been on my list for a while and I finally purchased and read it. It was a hard read but rightly so. I live in Nebraska and am familiar with the man Ingo talked about but was unaware of the depth of his involvement. It is a frightening book and sadly still relevant today. I'm glad for the chance to read it and the insight it provides. Definitely recommend.

[Anna-Lena Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Sterne

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very candid and insightful story from one of the top nazi's of the late eighties and early nineties. While this book is around 15 years old now, it's depth and brevity of the inner workings of the modern neo-nazi movement is quite astounding, as it would be from someone who has had first hand experience of it and helping to build it.

Worth reading if your a serious scholar of the subject or a layman. It's also a well written and accessible insight into a very dangerous phenomena.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book with a lot of new information for me about the state of affairs in Germany post-WWII.

Very creepy. Especially how much the anarchists and the hooligans reminded me of the kids from A Clockwork Orange.

The American who passed out most of the hate propaganda was strange to hear about. I suppose you'd think it was going to be Germany where it started.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely intense life story.